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Knock, Knock... Who's There?
"Knock Knock, Who's There?" is the twenty-first episode of Miami Vice's third season. The episode premiered on March 27, 1987. Summary A group of fake DEA agents raid drug busts and take off with the money and drugs, but no criminals. Plot Crockett and Tubbs are making a deal with Esteban Montoya (Ian McShane), but are dismayed to find that the cocaine is not as pure as specified, so Crockett refuses to make the full down payment. Montoya promises that the full shipment will be of the specified quality, but Crockett and Tubbs hold fast. Suddenly, DEA agents raid the bar, cuffing and Mirandizing everyone, including Crockett and Tubbs. After calling Metro-Dade to pick them up, they leave with the drugs and cash. Crockett is infuriated the DEA blew a two key deal when they had Montoya heading for a major sixty key bust, and on top of that confiscating $250K of departmental buy money. DEA policy states they will not release any information about ongoing operations except coordinated efforts, so Castillo escalates the buy money issue to Washington. At the local DEA office, the lead agent (Samm-Art Williams) holds a meeting in which he expresses displeasure at being informed of a raid he didn't know about by local Vice cops, and requests reports regarding all ongoing operations by the end of the day, to determine who could be involved in the bust. In the meantime, no one is to discuss the investigation outside the office. Afterwards, agent Linda Colby (Elizabeth Ashley) accidentally knocks her coffee onto her case files, leaving her flustered and angry; when the lead asks her about time off due to care for her ill son is currently hospitalized she refuses, stating that she's fine and needs the money to pay the exorbitant hospital bills. Montoya is released from jail, owing to the drug evidence having disappeared. Tubbs and Crockett are called in for a chat with IAD, where agent Stroh (James Dybas) questions Crockett's decision to bring the full $250,000 to a dry run and reveals there were no ''sanctioned DEA operations last night. He believes that Crockett and Tubbs took the buy money for themselves, fueled by his distaste for undercover vice and their dismissive attitude toward rules and regulations. When Crockett is goaded into making a harsh remark, Stroh turns off the tape recorder before vowing to destroy him and Tubbs if he finds any proof of their corruption. Meanwhile, another "DEA" raid is executed, but this time it escalates into a shootout when one of the dealers pulls a hidden gun. Linda Colby, who is monitoring the operation from her car, is visibly distraught. Crockett questions a dealer named Balcala, who was "arrested" in the raid; he refuses to talk without the possibility of a deal, but reveals that the DEA guys didn't show any badges. Linda angrily confronts the team of fake agents, citing their sloppy procedure as what got one of their own killed; she demands to see "him" later that night. Castillo suggests the raids may be conducted by a renegade group, but DEA has placed a gag order on the case; Crockett has a contact he will check on. Linda talks with the head surgeon about her son Brian, who needs a kidney transplant, and must be on dialysis until then; he reminds her that the costs are staggering, which she dismisses. She then visits Brian, who isn't scared about what's to come. That night Linda meets with Montoya on the waterfront, saying she changed her mind about backing out of the deal and needs cash for her son's treatment. Montoya fronts her money as an advance for assistance later. Crockett and Tubbs goes to see Chuck Colby (Jimmie Ray Weeks), Linda's husband and a former cop now confined to a wheelchair after being shot on duty. Linda comes home, swamped with paperwork. When the conversation turns to the DEA raids, Chuck is upset by their implications and tells them to leave. Reviews of Federal court records show no DEA warrants issued and no DEA raids authorized on the individuals targeted. Crockett theorizes it could be only one rogue DEA agent with access to equipment and raid procedures, and he has an idea on how to smoke them out. Chuck and Linda talk about the money for Brian's transplant and treatments; Chuck doesn't want any quick fixes for their money issues. Crockett and Tubbs go see Izzy and ask that he gets the word out about "Burnett" carrying a load of weight. Crockett and Tubbs then meet Linda at a diner; she fills them in on the DEA side while they give her the Miami-Dade side. Linda has nothing significant to share. Later, she meets with Montoya, who wants her to pull Burnett's file. Crockett and Tubbs look through numerous DEA mugshots without success; Stroh stops by to let them know he's recommending unpaid suspension for the money disappearance. Gina and Trudy ID one of the raid crew as Porfi Avila, a Colombian national into drugs and guns and employed by Montoya. Crockett goes to Linda to let her know what's going on; when she returns home Chuck reveals that he found the wad of money Montoya gave her. In the face of his indignance and anger, Linda says she's only concerned with Brian, but Chuck insists she not go through with whatever it is she's doing. She tells him it's too late. Linda gives Montoya Burnett's file and Montoya, now knowing Burnett is a cop, calls Crockett to set up a "meet" that night. Linda goes to see Brian in the hospital, his condition worsening. She tearfully kisses his forehead, before leaving for the meet. At Calle Ocho, Switek and Gina watch the crowd as Crockett and Tubbs wait. Montoya and his goons show up; Linda, emerging from the crowd, pulls her gun and orders them to freeze. A gunfight breaks out; Linda is hit while Crockett and Tubbs kill all the goons and Montoya flees into a hotel, where Crockett manages to get the drop on him. Linda survives, but is under arrest for the fake DEA raids and the deaths they caused. When Linda says that Crockett would have done the same if it were Billy, Crockett's response is to Mirandize her. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo Guest Stars *Elizabeth Ashley as DEA Agent Linda Colby *Jimmie Ray Weeks as Chuck Colby *Samm-Art Williams as Lead DEA Agent *Martin Ferrero as Izzy Moreno *Ian McShane as Esteban Montoya Co-Starring *James Dybas as IAD Officer Stroh *Robert Small as Greenspan *Tim Bice, Tony Vila, Jr., and Stefan Laurantz as DEA Agents Notes * This is one of two episodes ("Honor Among Thieves?" is the other) whose title ends with a question mark. * The fourth-season episode "Badge Of Dishonor" shares some of the same plotlines, in that case it's corrupt local (South Beach) police running false raids, instead of federal (DEA) agents, and the leader is one of their own. * IAD Agent Stroh will return to investigate Tubbs in Season 4's "Amen... Send Money". Music *"Ride Across The River" by Dire Straits (Opening sequence in bar) *"Heat of the Night" by Bryan Adams (During second fake DEA raid) *"Underwaterboys" by Shriekback (Linda meets with Montoya) *"The Fashion Show" by Grace Jones (Linda meets with Montoya in bar) *"La Vecina" by Belkis Concepcion y Sus Chicas (End sequence at Calle Ocho) Quotes *"Right hand not talking to the left?" -- ''Tubbs to Crockett after the fake DEA agents raid their deal *"After all the clothes, cars, and boats are washed away, you're still a $32,500 flatfoot like all the rest of us!" -- Stroh to Crockett *"Is this a new technique, ask the question and get the answer?" -- Balcala to Crockett when asked if DEA raided him Category:Miami Vice Season 3 Episodes